NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Boatswain's mate Ben Hansen never met Gerald R. Ford, but the two men share a couple things in common.

Both grew up in Michigan and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Like Ford, Hansen is part of a pre-commissioning crew for a brand new U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.

But Hansen, who is from Edmore, probably won't become a U.S. president.

“I’ve got almost 16 years in, so I’ll definitely do my 20 years and retire,” said Hansen, 36, who is serving aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford during this weekend’s christening ceremony and will remain with the ship after delivery to the Navy.

“I’ve got no desire to get into politics like President Ford did.”

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales, will break a bottle of American sparkling wine across the bow of CVN-78, a massive aircraft carrier that will, through its namesake, represent Michigan and Grand Rapids on the world’s oceans for the next half-century.

Over the past decade, thousands of ship builders and sailors have helped design, construct and ready the floating city, the largest and most expensive piece of U.S. military hardware ever built, for this weekend’s ceremonial debut in Virginia.

Nearly every state in the union has some tie to the enormous project, but those folks from Michigan have a unique one because Ford, although born in Nebraska, grew up in Grand Rapids and graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

“Being able to build an aircraft carrier is a privilege to begin with. Having it named after Gerald Ford and knowing what he stands for and where he went to school is an added bonus,” said Geoff Hummel, a construction director at the shipyard.

Hummel, a Port Huron native who graduated U-M in 1987 with a master’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering, has been working for Newport News Shipbuilding on construction of the USS Ford since 2009.

He’s one of about a half dozen shipyard crew working on the ship, including a welder from Jackson named Robert Bowker, who took a 12-inch metal plate with ship sponsor Susan Ford Bales’ initials and affixed it in a secret but special place near the ship’s keel in 2009, said Hummel.

The USS Gerald R. Ford crest incorporates symbols reminiscent of President Ford's life and legacy. A fleur-de-lis on the compass points north and symbolizes his rank of Eagle Scout. Thirty-eight stars surround the emblem to represent his tenure as 38th president. Twenty six stars are a different color to note his time stationed aboard USS Monterey during World War II. The crest's colors include blue and maize for his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Michigan, and blue and white from his time at Yale law school.Courtesy Photo | U.S. Navy

Ford class is new carrier design

The USS Ford is essentially a prototype, said Hummel. The carrier is the lead ship in a new design called the Ford-class, which replaces the former Nimitz-class design. The second ship in the class, the USS John F. Kennedy, is in an early building stage.

The 1,106-foot long nuclear-powered carrier has an estimated cost of $12.8 billion. It features a new nuclear plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement and an enhanced flight deck. It will carry up to 90 aircraft and launch up to 220 sorties a day.

Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, plans to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2016 after several years of interior outfitting, although a Government Accountability Office report predicted the company could miss the deadline due to technology-related delays.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges and we’ve a great team overcoming them,” said Hummel. “It’s one of the most complete ships at launch we’ve ever built.”

The 30 years between carrier design upgrade has resulted in extra work on systems testing and proofing. Lessons learned on the Ford should help crews working on the USS Kennedy, he said.

“We can’t build 10 or 20 of these before we go into production.”

'Integrity at the helm’

Bob Dawson, center, a scout leader with Troop 316 in Holland, is leading a bus of 36 Michigan scouts to Newport News, Va., to take part in the christening ceremony for the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. Also pictured are scouts Karl Calkins, right, 16, of Troop 98 in Otsego, and Andrew Twiford, left, 14, of Troop 250 in Byron Center.Courtesy Photo

The Boy Scouts were very important to President Ford, who was an Eagle Scout before he joined the Navy.

The Michigan scouting council was renamed in his honor, and the USS Ford crew has integrated the fleur-de-lis scouting emblem into the ship crest as a compass rose, under which reads the words “integrity at the helm.”

When the ship is christened Saturday, scouts will be there to mark the occasion. A bus full of Michigan Boy Scouts is leaving for Virginia this week to help with the christening ceremonies.

Bob Dawson, a scout leader with Troop 316 in Holland, organized the trip for 36 West Michigan scouts and 22 adult leaders from six different area troops.

Scouts ranging in age from 10 to 19 will perform flag processional functions under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Virginia Council, Dawson said. The trip includes scouts from Troop 202 of Caledonia, Troop 250 of Byron Center, Troop 98 of Otsego, Troop 264 of Rockford and Troops 57 and 316 of Holland.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Dawson. Each of the scouts is paying their own way using money generated by door-to-door popcorn and flowers sales.

At the ceremony, the scouts will be joined by Michigan-based representatives of the Ford Foundation in Grand Rapids and a student contingent from U-M in Ann Arbor.

Grand Rapids beer will be on hand to mark the occasion as well. Founders Brewing Co. was contracted by the shipyard this year to design a special commemorative label for the brewery’s pale ale, 40 cases of which have been sent down for a private function before the christening ceremony.

Founders Brewing Co. created a special label for the USS Ford christening.Courtesy Photo

Being asked to participate gave brewery co-founder Dave Engbers “goosebumps.”

“We’ve done what we can to build our company on values exemplified by Ford, particularly integrity and authenticity,” he said. “It’s such an honor to be involved in this christening.”

For those who can’t make it to Virginia for the ceremony, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids will air a live broadcast of the christening in the museum auditorium starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9. Museum admission is free.